In our houses there are rooms that need not only to be beautifully decorated during repairs, but to make them as functional as possible. For example, the bathroom and kitchen are constantly exposed to high humidity and temperature changes. Therefore, the floors in them are best laid out with ceramic tiles, since it is this material that is highly durable and water resistant.
In this article we will analyze in detail how to properly lay tiles on the floor, how to prepare the base and how to choose the material.
Types of floor tiles
Ceramic tiles have so many advantages over other flooring that it's hard to list them all. But we'll try:
- Antistatic. Ceramics do not store or conduct electrical charge.
- Fire resistance. The material does not catch fire even near fire and is completely fireproof.
- Biological inertness. Despite the high humidity, the structure of the tile does not allow bacteria and fungi to settle inside it.
- Water resistant. The material does not get wet, does not allow moisture to pass to the base and does not lose its appearance from exposure to water.
- High thermal conductivity. Fastheats up and is suitable for installation of "warm floor".
- Wear resistance. The tile does not wear out from friction, is resistant to harsh chemicals and most household abrasives.
- Easy to clean. Easily cleans with plain warm water, but can be treated regularly with strong chemicals if necessary.
- Sustainability. Does not emit harmful substances even when heated.
The disadvantages of this material are conditional: a higher price, which is offset by a longer service life and some complexity in laying, leveled by the same factor.
Before you learn how to lay tiles on the floor, you need to figure out what types of tiles you can find in the store. And this:
- Porcelain. It has a glossy surface, similar in density to glass. High strength, but poor choice of colors.
- Pressure glazed. This is a traditional tile - a layer of liquid glass is applied to the tile, thereby achieving an aesthetic appearance and increasing its strength and wear resistance. Store-bought tiles come in a wide range of colors and sizes, from large slabs to tiny pieces to assemble mosaics.
- Double fired tiles. After glazing, the material is fired again to give it a mirror finish and a perfect structure without air bubbles.
- Clinker tiles. With a heterogeneous structure and an uneven edge due to manufacturing features. It occurs glazed and simple, is widely used in interiors inloft style, minimalism, neo-gothic style.
- Porcelain tile. Matte or polished-mirror. The most durable material on this list. Often used in high traffic areas - lobbies, reception areas, etc.
Recommendations for selection
How to lay tiles on the floor in the kitchen or bathroom? First you need to figure out what to look for when buying material:
- Wear resistance. Of the five classes available, three are suitable for residential premises: from PEI1 to PEI3. The latter can be used for places with the highest traffic in the apartment - a hallway or a corridor.
- Moisture absorption. For the kitchen and bathroom, choose material marked A1 and B1 - moisture absorption is low, up to 3%. In residential areas, you can use material with any indicator.
- Production method. Best pressed, B-grade.
- Hardness. For residential premises, it is indicated by numbers from 3 to 9.
- Sort. The indicator of the number of marriages, indicated by numbers from 1 to 3. 1st grade - no more than 5% of marriage, 2nd grade - no more than 25%, the third is not sold at retail.
Also look at the appearance of the material:
- The surface of the ends must be fully or partially glazed.
- On the front side, smudges and damage are unacceptable.
- The ends should form an even right angle, the skew will make the installation process extremely difficult.
- The front and back of the two tiles mustfit tightly. Otherwise, it indicates that the material is concave.
There is another factor to consider before laying tiles on the floor. It must be non-slip. The ideal choice would be a coating with an anti-slip effect. As for the choice between matte and glossy, it depends on individual preferences and the design of the room. But on a shiny tile, all dirt is better visible.
Separately dwell on the size - on the floor, tiles with a side of less than 20 cm are impractical to use, and very small mosaics are often lost against the background of disproportionately large seams.
Calculation of materials
In order to understand how much tiles you need to purchase, let's resort to elementary mathematics. To begin with, we find out the area of \u200b\u200bthe room - we measure the length and width, multiply them and get the area in m². In principle, this may be enough - the cost of the material in the store is indicated exactly per square meter.
But if you need to understand how many tiles to buy, then the area of \u200b\u200bthe room is divided by the size of one tile. This is how we get the exact number.
Maximalists striving for the ideal can also add a seam allowance of 2-5 mm to the equation and take this parameter into account when calculating. But in any case, the amount of purchased material must be increased by 10-15% of the calculated one, since the tile often breaks during operation.
Also, the laying pattern affects the material consumption. Among them, there are options in which the purchase needs to be increased by 30-40%.
Popular styling patterns
Tile is not only durable, but also a very beautiful material. It is made in a variety of colors, with a variety of patterns, inserts and ornaments. Also, ceramic tiles can be interestingly entered into the interior with the help of an unusual laying scheme. There are many of them: any beginner can cope with some, only a real artist can embody others.
So, how to lay tiles on the floor? You can use the following patterns:
- seam to seam - classic;
- chessboard;
- diagonal;
- offset of one row relative to another by 1/3 or 1/2 tiles;
- longitudinal orientation;
- lateral orientation;
- mosaic;
- panno;
- modular;
- parquet;
- herringbone;
- carpet;
- combination of two or more methods.
This is how they look visually.
With any installation method, you will have to face the need to cut the tiles. But with a seam-to-seam scheme, waste will be minimal. Whereas when creating a drawing, trimming can be 30-40% of the total material. It is also worth considering that less than 20% of the original size of the tile should not remain, otherwise the composition will look unpresentable.
List of tools
Before laying tiles on the floor in the bathroom, kitchen or hallway, prepare all the necessary tools:
- Measuring: level, tape measure, ruler.
- Building:spatulas - smooth and notched metal and soft silicone, rubber mallet.
- For cutting: tile cutter or grinder.
- Auxiliary: marker, solution containers.
- Protective: goggles and respirator (when cutting), gloves.
We also buy all the necessary materials:
- tile;
- grout;
- crosses for seams;
- sealant and waterproofing agent;
- screed mix or sand and cement;
- primer;
- glue.
Preparatory work
Before laying tiles on the floor, we prepare the surface:
- We dismantle the old coating, including baseboards, hardened mortar and any protrusions.
- Clean the stove from debris and dust.
- The surface is impregnated with a liquid primer.
- If there are gaps or holes on the plate, they are closed with sealant.
- A layer of screed is applied to the plate. Self-levelling is best, so you can get a perfectly even base under the tile.
- The screed is impregnated with a primer.
- A waterproofing agent is applied to the surface (an important stage for laying tiles in the bathroom), and the walls are also coated to a height of 10-12 cm.
Work order
So, we have come close to the question of how to lay the tiles. The procedure is as follows:
- Applying markings on the base. Tiles are most often laid from the corner, a more complex option - from the center of the room. When marking, it is necessary to take into account the size of the plastic crosses. When composing a composition, you must firstprovide a place for large elements, and only then mark out for small ones. The entire further course of work depends on the accuracy of this stage.
- Glue preparation. It needs to be kneaded in a small amount, because after 40-45 minutes it dries up and is unusable.
- Apply a layer of mortar 0.8-1 cm thick at the place of laying the first tile and level with a notched trowel.
- We put the tile on the floor with our own hands and press it slightly. Its orientation is corrected by a level and a rubber mallet. Plastic crosses are fixed along the edges.
- All tiles are laid out in the same way, except for openings along walls and difficult areas.
- After aging for at least 1 day, cut the tiles to the desired size and fill in the gaps.
After completion, you should wait another day until the glue has completely hardened.
Final phase - grouting
The appearance of the floor covering depends a lot on this procedure. The grout mixture can be tinted to match the tile or to create a contrast. This step is performed in the following sequence:
- extraction of crosses;
- cleaning seams from debris and dust with a stiff brush and vacuum cleaner;
- treatment of seams with a primer to increase adhesion (adhesion);
- preparing the solution;
- applying grout with a soft spatula;
- half an hour after application, the seams are wiped with wet foam rubber;
- after 24 hours, the seams are treated with special impregnation.
Workfinished!
Should I put a new tile on top of the old one
It remains to find out one more thing. Do you tile on tile on the bathroom or kitchen floor? Yes, this is often done when the removal of the old coating is difficult. Many people prefer to avoid this procedure, because when removing the old tile, the screed often comes off, a lot of construction debris and dust, dangerous fragments appear.
So, put the tile on the floor on the old tile:
- Assessing the condition of the old coating.
- We are preparing: we remove the old glue, clean the seams from debris and dust.
- Smooth tiles provide poor adhesion, so you need to “spoil” it: remove the top layer, apply a lot of scratches and notches.
- For better adhesion, apply a specialized primer - it will make the surface rough, more suitable for adhesion.
- Laying tiles.
In what cases is it better to dismantle the old tile
There are also a number of factors that directly indicate that it is better to dismantle the old coating:
- if there are areas with chips and cracks on the tile;
- there are areas where the tiles move away from the floor;
- there are uneven areas on the floor;
- if a non-uniform sound is detected during tapping, this indicates the presence of voids;
- it is better to remove the old coating in cases where there are communications under the floor.
The base is a wooden floor. Is this acceptable?
Now let's find out if they put tiles on a wooden floor. Here you need to understand that flooring from boards is found both in high-rise buildings and in the private sector. And if we talk about the latter, then often these are very old houses with a lot of wear on the beams, which do not need to be additionally loaded with rather heavy tiles. If the house has concrete floors, then you can lay tiles on a wooden floor, but at your own peril and risk. Frankly speaking, everyone understands that this is not the best basis for tiles. The wooden floor is springy, movable, even in cases where the boards look monolithic, it “plays” a little. Ceramic tile is a hard material and a flexible base underneath will cause the tile to break.
However, many people do just that when repairing and are satisfied with the result. So, how to lay tiles on a wooden floor? The order of work is as follows:
- assess the condition of the floor - boards, joists, bumps, wear, etc.
- renew all problem areas: fasten loose floorboards, replace damaged ones.
- clean up irregularities with a planer or grinder;
- remove paintwork;
- soak boards with antiseptic;
- sand the boards;
- soak with drying oil;
- priming the floor for waterproofing;
- make a screed: cement, self-leveling or dry plywood or chipboard;
- lay tiles.
When should you not lay tiles on a wooden base
So we figured out how to lay tiles on a wooden floor. But there ismany factors under which this should not be done:
- Differences in humidity. The tree swells and changes size. For a person, this change is imperceptible, but for a hard ceramic floor, it is detrimental.
- Wood under a tile rots faster, even if treated with an antiseptic. Therefore, if the floor is worn out, it is better not to subject it to unnecessary tests.
- If the boards were installed less than 3 years ago, their shrinkage will quickly ruin the ceramic coating.
- Do not lay tiles on uneven, creaking, loose floorboards.
- If the joists are badly worn or rotten.
The result is this: the preparation of a wooden floor contains so many conditions and requirements that it is more expedient to dismantle it. But even if everything goes well, all efforts will go to waste over time due to the different service life of materials: ceramic tiles will be well preserved even after 20 years, while wood will “suffocate” and begin to rot under an impenetrable tile much earlier.
